Adjustable resilient heel construction



March 4, 1958 c. A. WINDLE ADJUSTABLE RESILIENT HEEL CONSTRUCTION FiledJan. 23, 1957 Carl A. Wind/e INVENTOR.

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ADJUSTABLE RESILIENT HEEL CONSTRUCTION Carl A. Windle, Hollywood, Calif.Application January 23, 1957, Serial No. 635,736

3 Claims. (C. 36-'-38) This invention comprises a'novel and usefuladjustable resilient heel construction, and is more particularlyconcerned with a shock absorbing heel particularly related to womensspike or high heeled shoes, and constitutes an improvement over thesubject matter disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 572,153,filed March 16, 1956, for Resilient Heel Construction.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a shock absorbinghigh heel for womens shoes including a spring urged reciprocating pistonsupported in a longitudinal bore disposed in alignment with thelongitudinal axis of a womans high heel whereby placement of weight onthe heel results in compression of a shock absorbing spring, andcompression of air within the bore by the reciprocating piston thereinresulting in the absorption of shock to the bone structure of a personwearing the shoes incorporating such heels.

Another object of the invention in conformance with that set forth aboveis to provide a shock absorbing high heel construction for womens shoeswhich is readily and economically manufactured, easily installed, may bereadily adjusted as to its spring tension, and highly efficient andsatisfactory for the purpose intended.

A still further object of the invention in conformity with the abovementioned objects is to provide a cushioning construction for high heelsin which a piston element constituting a cushioning member of the deviceshall have an improved guided engagement with the heel structure.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide aconstruction in accordance with the above set forth objects which shallbe extremely simple in construction and shall reduce the number of partsto a minimum.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, parts being broken away andomitted, and showing the novel shock absorbing high heel construction;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a high heel in accordance with theinvention, the same being shown removed from a shoe; and

Figures 3 and 4 are horizontal sectional detail views takensubstantially upon the plane indicated by the section lines 3-3 and 4-4respectively of Figure l.

Indicated generally at is a womans shoe, said shoe incorporating an archsupport portion 12 of steel, or any other suitable material, said archsupport portion extending beneath the heel of the shoe at 14 andincorporating therein suitable apertured portions for receivingfasteners 16 of any suitable character which are utilized'to secure ashock absorbing shoe heel indicated generally at 18, said heel beingconstructed of a cast metal, wood, or any other suitable material.

United States Patent The shock absorbing heel includes a bodymember 20which is downwardly and convergently tapering to provide a verticallyelongated body in which is disposed a vertically elongated bore 22extending substantially axially of the body member 20 and opening at thetop and bottom sides thereof. body member of the heel, in the outwardlyflaring or swelling portion of the same is provided with a downwardlyprojecting recess 24 to which the upper end of the bore 22 opens. Aswill be seen, this recess provides a clearance space below the heelportion 14 for a purpose to be subsequently apparent.

Adjacent its periphery, the upper portion of the heel body 20 isprovided with a plurality of internally threaded bores 26 for thereception of the'previously mentioned fasteners 16 whereby the heel maybe detachably secured to the heel portion of a shoe.

The upper portion of the bore 22 is internally threaded,

When the heel is removed from the shoe, access may be had to the closureplug 30 for removing the same or for adjusting the plug downwardly intothe bore for a purpose to be subsequently set forth. At its lower end,the plug is provided with a cylindrical depending extension orprojection 34 which is diametrically reduced for a purpose to besubsequently apparent.

Intermediate its ends, and opening upon the breast surface of the heelis a longitudinally extending slot 36. Slidably received within the openlower end of the bore 22 is a piston indicated generally by the numeral38 and which as shown may conveniently consist of a sleeve 40 which isopen at its upper end and is closed at its bottom end as by an integralclosure wall 42. Secured to the bottom surface of the sleeve as by afastener 44 is a heel cap 46. As so far described it will thus beapparent that the piston member is received in the bore for verticalsliding movement therein, and projects below the lower open end of thebore with its heel cap. A compression spring 48 is received within thebore, the upper end of this spring encircling and being guided by thedepending extension 34 of the closure plug 30, while the lower end ofthe spring is received within the sleeve portion 50 of the piston. Thespring serves to yieldingly urge the piston downwardly of the bore andto yieldingly project the lower end of the piston and the heel cap 46carried thereby from the bottom surface of the heel.

It will be further seen that there is provided a laterally projectingscrew 50 which is carried by the sleeve portion 40 of the piston and isslidably and guidingly received in the slot 36, thereby preventingrotation of the piston therein, and limiting vertical reciprocation ofthe piston.

At its lower end, the bore 22 is provided with a laterally projectingrecess 52 which opens the breast side of the heel, and which recessconstitutes also an enlargement of the bore towards the back side of theheel as shown in Figure l. The lower end of the piston portion 42 andthe heel cap 46 are laterally enlarged to have a snug sliding andguiding fit in this recess, thereby preventing rotation of the heel cap.

It will thus be apparent that adjustment of the closure plug will varythecompression of the spring and the cushioning action of the heel.However, adjustment of the spring tension will he usually effected asfollows. The soft leather flap or lining 54 in the heel of the shoe canbe lifted exposing an aperture 56 by means of which a screw driver canbe engaged in the kerf of the plug 36. The spring tension can thus beeasily adjusted without removing the heel from the shoe.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous The upper surface of the imodifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art,it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact constructionandoperation shownand described, and accordingly, all suitablemodifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within thescope of the invention as claimed. t, i i t What is claimed as new is asfollows:

1. A shock absorbing heel comprising'a tapering, downwardly convergentelongated body member having a longitudinal axially disposed boretherein opening at both the top and bottom of said body member, a pistonsnugly and slidably received in the lower end of said bore, a heel tapsecured to the piston and projecting beneath the body member, acompression springin said bore, having its lower end engaging the pistonand yieldingly biasing the latter downwardly of the body member, thelower end of the body member having a lateral recess opening into thebore, said piston and heel taphaving each a lateral projection slidablyand guidably received in said recess, said body member having a recessin its top surface into which said bore opens, a closure plug for saidbore extending into said last mentioned recess and constituting anabutment for the upper end of said spring.

2. A shock absorbing heel comprising a tapering, downwardly convergentelongated body member having a longitudinal axially disposed boretherein opening at both the top and bottom of said body member, a pistonsnugly and slidably received in the lower end of said bore, a heel tapsecured to the piston and projecting be- 4 neath the body member, acompression spring in said bore, having its lower end engaging thepiston and yieldingly biasing the latter downwardly of the body member,said body member havinga longitudinal slot in the side thereofcommunicating with said bore, a laterally projecting screw on saidpiston slidably and guidably re ccived in said slot,the lower end of thebody member having a lateral recess opening into the bore, said pistonand heel tap having each a lateral projection slidably and guidablyreceived in said recess, said body member having a recess in its topsurface into which said bore opens, a closure plug for said boreextending into said last mentioned recess and constituting an abutmentfor the upper end of said spring.

3. The combination of claim 2 including means opening into said recessfrom the interior of a shoe for obtaining access to said closure plugfor adjusting the compression of said spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,218,391 Gay Mar. 6, 1917 1,5l4,154 Hajduczky Nov. 4, 1924 2,159,943Palley May 23, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 245,812 Italy Dec. 12, 1925 483,269Great Britain Apr. 14, 1938 502,917 Great Britain Mar. 28, 1939

